I won’t be voting for Bernie Sanders. (Not that anyone cares.)
Why? First, I don’t think that he would be able to beat Donald Trump if he’s the Democratic nominee. Once the Republican disinformation machine gets rolling, it will be able to shred Bernie much more effectively than other candidates.
Although he’s not a socialist, Bernie says he is, and very few Americans are really in favor of socialism — collective rather than private ownership of the means of production. Many of those who abhor Trump will not vote if it’s a choice between Trump and Bernie.
I doubt that Bernie will be able to motivate so many younger voters to vote that it will more than make up for the loss of voters who will sit the election out if he’s the Democratic nominee. But even if he’s not on the ballot, he could motivate young voters to vote by campaigning for the Democratic nominee and urging his followers to vote to get Trump out. (Do you think he will if he’s not the nominee?)
Then, too, I don’t think Bernie, who has never been a member of the Democratic Party, will be able to get much of his agenda through Congress even if Democrats hold the House and take the Senate. I also think Bernie is likely to do more harm than good for Democrats running for the House and Senate.
The most vital moral imperative is to defeat Trump. The second most vital moral imperative is for Democrats to hold the House and take the Senate.
Emmett Barcalow
Amherst